


I Need a Hero

by Anika_Ann



Series: Wrapped Around Her Finger – Parent!Steve Rogers trilogy [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (sort of), Attempt at Humor, Dancing, Established Relationship (past), F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Major Character Death (Past), Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Not THAT Kind of a Daddy, Parent Steve Rogers, Party, Reader-Insert, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Team as Family, daddy Steve Rogers, single parent steve rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 06:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17740832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anika_Ann/pseuds/Anika_Ann
Summary: Tony is throwing a party, again. It’s moments like this (except every other minute of his existence) Steve wishes you were still here, so he wouldn’t sit at a bar, watching happy couples and generally giddy people all around.Noisy women don’t exactly help his mood. Then again, his daughter might.Alternatively: The First Time Grace Rogers Saved Her Father and Proved She Was Her Parents’ Daughter





	I Need a Hero

**Author's Note:**

> Technically part of the Melting Hearts Series, but works as a standalone, yada, yada...  
> Enjoy :))

Steve wasn’t even sure what the gala was for, only being certain it wasn’t for celebrating Grace’s birthday – because he wouldn’t miss _that_. It was one of those head honchos party Tony threw from time to time, mostly for courtesy. Avengers PR. Keeping people on their good side.

While Steve didn’t exclusively mind, he couldn’t say he was enjoying it either. Grace was somewhere in the crowd, smiling politely or laughing at (usually Sam’s) jokes and he caught her bright eyes from time to time as his (and no matter how much he hated it, hers too) teammates danced with her. She was beauty. She was grace. She was sunshine in the dark place. She was a fighter too, he knew, but not tonight.

Steve found it hard to mingle in the large crowds. While people still approached him, something must have radiated from him, giving his attitude away, the false smile hinting them to keep their distance.

Once again, for the millionth time, he found himself missing you. He was no dancer, but you would have convinced him to at least sway for one or two songs, and he wouldn’t even mind that people would be watching you two, possibly thinking you were being ridiculous. The light in your eyes would make him forget about all the noisy looks and his own awkward moves.

So he had parked his behind at the bar, occasionally doing the necessary small talk, otherwise keeping an eye on Grace or talking to Natasha, who was behind the bar for the evening.

And or rare occasion, he would have to deal with very unpleasant company.

The woman had been talking his ear off for the past few minutes – or was it hours? It felt like hours – apparently not minding the lack of his attention.

She completely ignored the lonely-wolf aura the others seemed to pick up on.

She was also very loud.

And she was starting to be tactile, putting a hand on his forearm and bicep.

And most importantly, she seemed a bit inebriated. Then again, the women these days still managed to confuse Steve occasionally. Maybe she was just that forward.

She leaned to his ear – unexplainable gesture since she didn’t bother lowering her voice – her hand on him again.

"Come on, handsome. I'm flexible – in all senses of the word-"

"Madam-" Steve started, having just enough of her, trying to figure out how to get her off his back without being too rude if possible. But she wouldn’t take the hint.

"Yes, Sir? Or, yes, Captain?" She giggled in response and Steve closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. _Don’t be rude. Don’t be mean…_ , echoed in his head, with barely any effect. "I can call you anything you want. Soldier. Even a-"

"Daddy?"

Steve froze at the voice and the hand on his other shoulder. The touch of his companion immediately disappeared.

Natasha behind the bar barely held back a snort as the ‘flexible woman’ choked on her own spit. _The timing._ It wasn’t a public knowledge that Steve and Grace were related, let alone so closely. Oh god, this was _golden_.

"Hi, babygirl, is everything okay?" Steve asked his daughter with concern.

This time Natasha did let out a strangled sound, disguising it as a cough. Steve was either oblivious to the beautiful double meaning or used the endearment on purpose. Probably not the latter, because Steve Rogers was not capable thinking that way about his daughter, not even when joking. Grace, on the other hand, definitely went with the addressing on purpose, Natasha was sure of it.

"Oh yuck... old pervert..." the woman mumbled as she took an abrupt leave, blind to the highly amused faces and one confused, belonging to the captain.

" _Now_ it is. How are enjoying the party?"

"Less than you, apparently," Steve replied, but quickly dropped his sarcastic tone as if he realized whom he was talking to. He smiled even as Grace took the seat after the ‘flexible woman’. "You danced. That's good."

Grace chuckled. "Yeah. With Tony, Sam and Bucky, because no one outside the family would dare to ask with the line of bodyguards behind my a- _back_. I think Peter is gathering some courage… the whole evening. We’ll see how that goes. You didn't dance though."

"No one asked," he shrugged. "No one dances with over hundred and fifteen years old man."

"Barnes older than you. And Miss Flexible sure seemed eager,” Natasha noted with a grin and Steve shot her a murderous glare she ignored in favour to prepare Grace a non-alcoholic drink.

"She was a bit much," Grace corrected her and Natasha just smirked.

"You know, you could have saved me, Romanov."

"And miss the fabulous rescue delivered by your daughter? Nah. Plus, you finally need to get back to the saddle."

Steve stiffened as the conversation took his least favourite turn. He mentally scolded himself – he totally waked into that.

"But clearly not with _her_. She was terrible, dad. I'll find you a better one. Any tips, Nat?"

"The brunette in the corner has been eyeing him," Steve shot Nat another glare as she beckoned inconspicuously to someone, probably some _brunette_. "But not necessarily in a predatory way."

"...in _what?"_

"Which one?" Grace pried, looking around almost animatedly.  

"Blue dress."

Grace glanced – presumably – at the woman, while Steve stubbornly kept glaring ahead of himself. Only to be betrayed coldly. "I approve."

"Grace!"

"What? We talked about this, dad."

"Exactly, _young lady._ We did. If I enter a relationship, it will be when I'm ready. On my own terms," he repeated for the hundredth time, narrowing his eyes a little when looking into her eyes. She pouted, but didn’t push this time and took a sip of her drink.

"Fine. Can I have a dance at least? Please?"

"Grace..." Steve sighed, not feeling like entering the dance floor.

The irony was not lost on him though; the only woman he wanted to dance with shared genes and name with the woman – and Steve had to slowly start accepting she was much more of a woman than a girl – who was asking him now.

"Pretty, pretty please! I promise to leave your love-life alone for the evening!"

"You're gonna do that anyway, you know. And not just for the evening."

"You're so stubborn," she exclaimed, still watching him with pleading eyes. Steve felt himself cracking under the puppy look she was attacking him with, but tried to resist a little longer, even when knowing it was probably pointless.

"Clearly you’ve taken after me," he mumbled. Apart from the puppy eyes; that talent was definitely from her mother’s side.

 _"Clearly_. Dance with me, dad? Please?"

Steve gave up. "Well, how could I say no to the beautiful lady with those hopeful eyes..."

"Yes!" she chanted, immediately sliding from her stool and taking his hand to pull him towards the dance floor.

"I still can't dance, you know…"

"I don't care,” she sing-sang and Steve couldn’t help but smile fondly. She was so vivid and amazing he couldn’t believe he was his daughter sometimes.

He wasn’t sure what do to with his hands, but settled with lightly placing one on her hip and the other against hers. She smiled wildly and started swaying to the rhythm of a song Steve failed to recognize.

“You’re so full of it! You’re doing great,” she praised him and Steve allowed himself relax a little and perhaps feel a bit proud. Both for himself and for his daughter. “Thank you, dad. I love you. I… you know I just want you to be happy, right?"

"I know, babygirl,” he admitted with a sigh. “But pushing me won’t help. Thank you for the rescue on the other hand, that I needed."

"Anytime.”

Steve couldn’t but wonder at her reassurance. He knew she meant it. He felt their relationship shifting gradually, from father-daughter to more partnership-like one. She had been displaying care for him since her early years, probably picking up on the concern in everyone else’s eyes and soon figured out it was for him.

For Steve, she would always be his little girl, his instinct to protect her stronger than anything, but he couldn’t stop her from being protective over him as well. He wasn’t able to and he wouldn’t want it, trying to indulge the feeling of being cared for instead – at least within boundaries.

“Anytime,” he echoed, squeezing her side before spinning her. He was rewarded by her delighted laugh.

Before the night was over, Steve learned – thanks to Bucky's and Natasha’s plotting – that the blue dress brunette's name was Amelia. He danced one more time that night, because she shyly asked and he found himself unable to say no to the hopeful eyes. For now, she was an Amelia and a potential friend. One day, she might become more.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully, it was as sweet to read as to write ;) 
> 
> Feedback of any kind is appreciated.


End file.
